"Is there anything else you need, Mr. Bennett?" I asked as I placed the pizza on the dining table.
"No thank you, Ana, you may go and rest," Malcolm replied with a smile. A beautiful smile that had me thinking that he liked me - really liked me. But I knew that was not true. And he called me Ana; Malcolm never called me Ana, he barely ever used my name.
Maybe Michael was right and Malcolm was having a change of heart towards you. Maybe he was in love with you.
I ignored my subconscious, and with one final nod to Malcolm, I exited the dining room.
Opening the door of my room, I entered my personal space and closed the door softly behind me. Malcolm told me I should sleep and someone else would clean the kitchen and set up the guest rooms, but I was not going to sleep. Malcolm might've changed his mind. I'd just sit up on the bed and read a magazine in case Malcolm needed me to work.
With the decision made, I climbed on my bed and with my back against the headboard, I took a deep relaxing breath. The shopping bags from earlier were still on my bed; quickly grabbing one of the bags, I took out the magazine for babies that Malcolm bought.
I flipped through the magazine and smiled when I saw cute pictures of adorable babies. It was crazy how beautiful babies were, and how their mere presence could change people. My own baby was the perfect example. Because of the baby, Malcolm was being nice to me, if it hadn't been for this baby, Malcolm and I would've never seen each other after the night of our blind date. This baby was my miracle.
After I didn't know how long, a knock sounded at my door before it opened and Malcolm walked in. Wow, he knocked. He came and sat down at the edge of my bed.
"I thought I told you rest," he said.
I swallowed hard as I contemplated how best to answer to him. What reason could I give Malcolm for not sleeping?
"Uh - Well - I - I thought you might need me to clean the kitchen," I answered after a beat.
"I told you I'll have someone else take care of that," he replied softly.
"Yes, but...what if you wanted me to do it," I said stupidly.
The sound of Malcolm's brothers entering the living room penetrated the walls of my room. I could clearly hear them laughing and talking about some girl they had seen in the mall. It was like they were in my room and not outside it.
Malcolm shook his head but didn't say anything. I looked at him as I saw him thinking about something.
"I gave you the wrong room," he muttered softly.
Before I could respond, Malcolm took the magazine from my hands and flipped it shut. Then without a word, Malcolm gently took my wrist and pulled me out of my bed. My mind fell into confusion while my heart started pounding with terror; was Malcolm kicking me out? Where was he taking me? Was he going to humiliate me in front of his brothers?
But Malcolm didn't do any of that. No, he did something much stranger. Something my mind could never think about.
He led me out of my room and straight into his room. Once we were inside his room, Malcolm shut the door locked it.
"Mr. Bennett, what are you doing?" I asked as Malcolm led me to his bed and gently pushed me down. I gazed at him in horror as my mind suddenly came up with the preposterous idea of Malcolm wanting to rape me.
"See, it's much better in here; no noise, you can sleep peacefully here. Lie down, Ana, you can sleep here," Malcolm stated softly.
Bewildered, I tried to get up but Malcolm pushed me down on the bed again. "Mr. Bennett, it's okay, I'm fine, my room is fine. I'll just sleep there," I said.
But it was like he wasn't going to listen to me. "No, Ariana, you are sleeping here, and that is final," he replied in a firm tone.
"But - But -" I tried to say but Malcolm put a finger to my lips, shutting me up.
"You are going to sleep here, Ariana. Is that clear," Malcolm said in a tone that told me arguing with him would get me in trouble. Confused, I nodded, not wanting to get in trouble.
"Good girl." Malcolm caressed my cheek with the back of his hand, then pushed aside the fluffy duvet. "Get in," he ordered.
Hesitantly, I laid down on Malcolm's bed. His bed was so incredibly soft, it was like sleeping on a cloud. With a smile, Malcolm pulled the duvet over me.
"Sleep now, I'll wake you up in a few hours." Malcolm removed my hair tie and brushed my hair with his fingers.
I had no intention of sleeping in my boss's bed, but Malcolm's fingers were working magic over my senses. Confused and scared, I felt my eyelids drooping and my body relaxing in Malcolm's bed.
Just before I fell in a deep - strangly peaceful - sleep, I thought I heard Malcolm's voice saying,
"This where you will be sleeping from now on. With me, in my bed."